


There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight

by xxpaperflowersxx



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Canon up to 4x17, Everything Hurts, F/F, Identity Reveal, Lena Luthor Doesn't Know Kara Danvers is Supergirl, Lena Luthor Finds Out Kara Danvers is Supergirl, Lena Luthor Needs a Hug, Lex Luthor Being an Asshole, POV Lena Luthor, The Author Regrets Everything, The angsty reveal no one asked for, The one shot that turned into a two shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-01-31 06:03:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18585274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxpaperflowersxx/pseuds/xxpaperflowersxx
Summary: She could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears, feel the heavy thump in her chest.“Lex, what is this? What have you done?” Her voice no more than a whisper, fear colouring her tone.Lex scoffed at her, a smirk pulling at his mouth, “On the contrary dear sister, I haven’t done anything. Not yet at least.”Or The angsty reveal fic no one asked for





	1. Choices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I started writing this at the beginning of the hiatus, thinking it would be a reveal one-shot with a couple thousand words...
> 
> clearly I have no self control

The sun had long set on National City, the infinite black of the nights sky plunging the world into darkness. The sparkling lights of the buildings outside reflected off the floor length windows of Lena’s office. The young CEO was working late into the evening, too busy with the piles of paperwork cluttering her desk and the mountains of unread emails in her inbox to notice the hours quickly ticking away.

The past week of working with Alex Danvers and Supergirl had taken its toll, leaving her with little time to manage the billion dollar company she had inherited and feeling more stressed than she had ever felt in her entire life.

L-Corp’s stocks had taken a hit since Lex’s escape, her shareholders had become skittish and on edge, seemingly waiting for her to show her inner Luthor and join her brother on his vengeful crusade, despite her reassurances to the contrary. James had taken a sabbatical from CatCo, at his sisters insistence, to deal with the trauma of Lex’s recent attack on him, leaving her alone to run two major corporations. And to add insult to injury, they were still no closer to finding Lex. Her illusive brother had proven to consistently be one step ahead of them at every turn.

She had taken the day as a break from the search, to allow her to catch up with the work she had missed in her absence, leaving Alex and the Super to follow up on leads without her. The day had proven long and tiresome, and she had realised after her 8am meeting with the board that she would most likely be here all night.

The clock on her computer ticked over to midnight as Lena finished reading the contract laid out before her, adding her signature at the bottom in her usual neat, elegant cursive. She placed her pen gently on the surface of the desk and let her hand reach up to the back of her neck, fingers kneading the surrounding muscles in an attempt to ease the tight knots that had formed there.

Letting out a tired sigh, she closed her eyes and wished she could go home and sink into the voluminous pillows of her California King bed. Perhaps she could allow herself five short minutes to close her eyes and replenish her quickly depleting energy.

She rested her head back against the thickly cushioned support of her desk chair, sliding her eyelids closed and blocking out the dimmed lighting of her office. She immediately felt the strong pull of slumber on her consciousness and allowed herself to drift towards it. Blissful oblivion had almost claimed her when she was rudely awoken by the shrill ring of her phone. She groaned out her feeling of discontent as she reached for the offending object vibrating on her desk, sliding to answer without looking at the call display.

“Hello, this is Lena Luthor.” She said with as much authority as she could muster at this late hour.

“My dearest sister, I heard you’ve been looking for me despite my warnings against doing so.” Lena froze at the sound of that voice. Of course Lex would choose tonight of all nights to show himself, he always seemed to have a sixth sense for whenever Lena was at her most fragile.

“I warned you it would not be pleasant for you if you came searching for me but, being the stubborn child you’ve always been, I knew you wouldn’t listen. Although I must say, it’s been thoroughly amusing to watch from the sidelines as you failed over and over again in your pointless quest for justice. I can’t say I’m surprised that you would choose to side with a Super over your own family, but honestly Lena, I expected more integrity from you. Watching you fawn over that _disgusting_ Kryptonian, it’s pathetic.” The disdain dripping from Lex’s words was palpable.

Lena swallowed against the thickness in her throat, trying to keep her voice steady and even.

“What do you want, Lex?” Lena detested the evident tremble in her voice as she spoke, she hoped Lex wouldn’t notice but knew deep down that he would.

“I think it’s time we both sat down for a little talk, put our cards on the table.” Lex declared.

“And what makes you think that I would _want_ to sit down to talk with you after what you did to me? I have _nothing_ to say to you.” Lena could hear the venom in her tone.

“Well, let’s just say it wasn’t a request. Miss Teschmacher is awaiting my instruction, her sights firmly set on Jimmy Olsen. No one will be there to save him this time. So how about we move this along? I’ll send you an address, be here within the next hour, _alone_ , or Mr Olsen will finally get his comeuppance.” Lex stated his intentions and Lena knew from the cold dismissiveness of his tone that he wasn’t bluffing.

The phone went dead and her text tone immediately alerted her to the new message waiting in her inbox. With a shaky breath, she opened the message from a blocked number and recognised the address of a long abandoned LuthorCorp warehouse on the outskirts of National City.

She knew she had no choice. She may no longer be with James, but she still cared and she refused to let her brother take his life and destroy so many others in the process. James had family, friends, who loved him. Kara, loved him like family and she didn’t deserve to suffer that loss.

Lena sighed, elbow resting against her desk, fingers massaging her temples. She was getting a migraine and this talk with Lex would do nothing but exacerbate it. _He_ was a constant migraine on her life.

She reached over to the draw nestled at the top of her desk and pulled it open. The signal watch Supergirl had given to Alex Danvers rested on top of the stationary she had placed in there. Alex had given it to her for the day in case she needed to get in contact with them urgently. Lena knew she couldn’t call them to help her with this, she needed to go alone, like Lex had stated, or James was dead. That didn’t mean she couldn’t take it with her though. She picked it up gently and slid it onto her left wrist, hoping and praying that Lex wouldn’t notice it as anything other than a regular watch.

She called her driver and told him to head home, informing him that she would be staying all night at her office. He accepted her explanation without question, and Lena knew it was because it wouldn’t be the first time she had pulled an all nighter at work.

She pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote a quick note, outlining the address she was headed to and why. Folding it and placing it inside an envelope she left it leaning against her computer screen, a small piece of insurance incase the conversation with Lex took an unexpected turn.

Her heart pounded as she stood inside the elevator, slowing descending to the parking level. She was thankful that she always kept a car here for her personal use, just incase she ever wanted to drive by herself or get away from the madness for a short period.

She located the black, 1964 Mustang Fastback with ease. Sitting parked in the CEO’s designated parking spot, the only car left in the empty lot. The car had been a gift from her father on her 16th birthday, a way for her to escape the constant barrage of her mothers scathing jibes. Over the years she had upgraded it, and as she had taken on the heavy mantle of CEO and moved away from the R&D side of the company, it had provided her an outlet for her constant need to tinker.

Lena eased into the driving seat and programmed the address Lex had sent her into the navigation system. She felt the low rumble of the engine as she peeled out of the parking garage and headed off into the night.

The site was easy to locate and she pulled her car onto the loose gravel surrounding the imposing building. With a deep breath she opened the car door and slowly wandered towards the loading bay entrance.

Lena walked through the abandoned warehouse, her heart pounding as her eyes darted around the surroundings. Lex really needed to stop being so cliché. Couldn’t they have had this meeting somewhere that didn’t look close to demolition? Maybe talk over a chilled glass of expensive scotch, like their alcohol dependant father had taught them?

She saw light leaching through the gap of a closed doorway ahead of her and made her way over, hand pressing firmly against the door handle as she took a deep breath to steady herself. The sight she was met with was one from her darkest nightmares and she froze in place, all air leaving her body in a ragged exhale.

Kara Danvers, bound and gagged against a steel support beam, her body slumped forward in clear unconsciousness. Lex stood to Kara’s left side, a jet black, 9mm handgun pointed firmly towards her bowed head.

“Hi there sis, I’m glad you finally decided to join us.” Lex spoke, with the same air of teasing he had used when they were children.

Lena met his hard stare, eyes drifting between him and Kara’s collapsed form. She could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears, feel the heavy thump in her chest.

“Lex, what is this? What have you done?” Her voice no more than a whisper, fear colouring her tone.

Lex scoffed at her, a smirk pulling at his mouth, “On the contrary dear sister, I haven’t done anything. Not _yet_ at least.”

Lena held back the bile rising in her throat, clenching her jaw to stop the flow of an angry retort from passing her lips. She knew deep down how desperately Lex would be itching to share his plan with her, knew that he would be waiting for her to beg him to let her in on his madness. So she held it back, hardening her cold exterior to a look of apathy. She wouldn’t allow him the satisfaction of knowing how much this was killing her on the inside. No, he had played her too many times and Lena was determined that he wouldn’t win this time. She would no longer be a pawn in his sadistic game of chess.

“Oh Lena, simmer down. There’s no need for this animosity between us. You’ll understand soon that I’m _helping_ you. A small favour between siblings.” Lex pronounced with the calm indifference of a madman, and if she closed her eyes to the horrific scene in front of her, she could imagine that they were having a simple discussion over brunch.

“How is kidnapping and hurting my best friend _helping_ me?” Lena asked exasperatedly, gesturing towards Kara’s unmoving body.

“You see, you always did put the cart before the horse, it’s one of your most _disappointing_ flaws. One thing at a time Lena, all will be revealed soon enough. Now, why don’t we start with you pressing that signal button on your wrist so we can get this show on the road?” Lex tilted his head towards the signal watch strapped to her left wrist. How did he know about that?

Lena eyed him with suspicious confusion, mind racing to fit the pieces of his plan together but ultimately falling short. Her brother hated all aliens, that much she knew was true, but he held a special kind of hatred for Kryptonians, unmatched by any other evil she had ever known. If her brother wanted Supergirl here that meant he had a plan and calling the hero to her would only lead to her demise. She might as well sign Supergirl’s death warrant now and be done with it.

“You asked me to come here alone and I did. No one knows I’m here, no one will interrupt us. So why don’t we just talk this through like adults, you let me take Kara home and I _promise_ that I’ll stop looking for you. No one needs to get hurt in this Lex. _Please_. Whatever your endgame is here, Kara has nothing to do with any of this. Please, just, _let her go_. Let her go and I’ll do whatever you ask.” Lena could hear the pleading desperation in her own voice, but she couldn’t find it within herself to care. Kara Danvers was the best person she had ever known and if she got hurt as a result of all of this Lena would never forgive herself.

“Oh Lena, the fact that you think you have any say in this is sad and pathetic. I can assure you that Miss Danvers has _everything_ to do with this. Now, are you going to push that button or do I need to remind you of the gun I’m pointing at Miss Danvers’ head?” Lex spat, his calm composure cracking slightly with the need to get his own way. He pressed the barrel of the gun firmly against Kara’s head for emphasis.

Lena took a quick step forward, wishing she could just reach Kara, pull her away from all of this. She raised her hands in a placating manner; “Okay, Alright. I’ll do it. Just-please, don’t hurt her.”

Her hands were shaking in front of her as she reached her right hand over to the watch on her left wrist. Flicking the face upwards with her thumb, she took a deep breath as she pressed firmly on the crest shaped button.

She closed her eyes, knowing it wouldn’t take more than a few seconds for the Kryptonian to respond. She sent a silent prayer up to whatever deity might be listening, that they would find a way out of this, that they would get out of this alive, that Kara would be safe.

She felt the familiar whoosh of air and heard the telltale thud of boots hitting the concrete floor. A hand was gently grasping her arm as she opened her eyes and was met with the concerned gaze of Supergirl.

“Lena, are you okay? I came as quickly as I could…what…?” Supergirl’s eyes hadn’t left her face, worry etched into the oddly familiar crinkle between her brows.

Lena swallowed the lump in her throat, her eyes watering at the unknown future of this situation. Supergirl’s concern grew as she took a step closer to Lena, still utterly oblivious to their surroundings.

“I’m sorry…He…He has Kara, and I-I didn’t know what else to do… I’m _so_ _sorry_.” Lena felt her lips tremble, her voice thick with emotion.

She watched the confusion settle onto Supergirl’s face as she took in Lena’s words. Her head turned to take in her surroundings and Lena saw as her eyes widened at the sight of Lex holding a gun against Kara’s unresponsive head.

Supergirl froze. Her dumbfounded expression deepening with the shock of the situation.

“What…? I-I…I don’t understand.” The hero was floundering. Lena had never seen her like this, couldn’t understand this response.

“In case you were wondering, dear sister, _that_ is the look of utter bewilderment on our darling Kryptonians face.” Lex sounded a little too proud of himself, the joy and amusement in his tone unnerving. Like he had expected this reaction.

Lena watched the colour drain from Supergirl’s face. She didn’t even know that was possible for the alien and the sight of it left her with a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“What is this?” Supergirl gasped out, the usual confidence and strength gone from her voice.

She didn’t look like the worlds most powerful being right now. She looked like a scared child, about to have their whole world ripped from underneath them. It terrified Lena and for the first time since she had stepped into this warehouse, she felt completely hopeless. It chilled her to her core and the unease she felt only doubled as she took in the satisfaction painted on Lex’s face.

Lex tutted and shook his head slowly, the condescension dripping from every part of him. “Come now Supergirl, I think you know _exactly_ what this is. My ignorant sister may fall for that doe eyed innocence you like to portray but, I can see through your lies and deception. You’re no better than that dithering fool you call cousin…”

Lena watched the muscles in Supergirl’s jaw tense, a look of intense hatred being directed at her brother and she wondered if she was imagining the reddish glow surrounding the hero’s eyes.

“…Kal-El. No, my mistake, he prefers the name Clark. Or is it Mr Kent?” Lex smirked like he had just revealed his winning hand in a game of poker.

The red around Supergirl’s eyes faded into a look of horror and she quickly turned to Lena, mouth agape as she struggled to find words.

Lena was undergoing her own internal struggle and she knew the shock of what her brother had just said was evident on her face. She had grown up around Clark Kent, he was Lex’s best friend for most of his teenage years and now the sudden disconnect of their friendship made sense. Clark Kent was Superman. Lena was perplexed to say the least. Clark was just so, _ordinary_. He was awkward and clumsy and entirely unnoticeable. But then she realised that that was exactly what his disguise was intended to do, it wasn’t just glasses and a questionable wardrobe, it was an entire persona. Carefully crafted to fool just about everyone he came into contact with.

“That’s right baby sis, the Kryptonian pretender weaselled his way into our lives and fooled us both. Years of so called _friendship_ , all of it a ruse to manipulate me and keep a watchful eye on our family.” Lex sneered, the anger in his eyes burning as he remembered the past.

“That’s not true! Kal… _Clark,_ was your friend. He valued your friendship and he cared, that’s why he fought to help you for so long.” Supergirl was trying to reason with Lex and Lena wished she could tell her that it was a fruitless endeavour. Lex never saw reason when it came to Superman.

“ _Help me?! Help_ me? Superman is a plague on this planet. He’s never helped anyone but himself. He is a menace to society who takes what he wants and cares not for the destruction left in his wake. But, of course _you_ would defend him. You, who has learnt _all_ of his tricks. Perhaps deception and lies is truly what that symbol on your chest stands for. The _machiavellian_ House of El.” Lex’s voice boomed around the cavernous room, his calm demeanour vanishing at the mention of his arch nemesis.

Supergirl bristled beside Lena at the insults to her family. Jaw clenched, her whole body rigid as stone with the control it was taking for her to not lash out at Lex. Lena had to admit that she admired that about the Kryptonian. The sheer power she possessed, all the ways she could snuff out the life in someone like Lex and yet she chose not to. It would be so easy in a situation like this and Lena isn’t sure she would be able to exercise that same restraint if it were her in the aliens shoes.

Lena watched as the blonde tensed her fists at her sides, saw the conflicting emotions swim across her face and a small part of her wished the Girl of Steel would act on her base instincts. Lex might be her brother, but he was also a homicidal sociopath with a propensity for being a huge pain in her ass. But, she reasoned, that would only serve to prove her brothers hateful rhetoric towards the Kryptonians correct.

“Hey, look at me…” Lena spoke softly to the woman beside her, placing a soothing hand on her tense forearm, waiting for familiar blue eyes to meet her own, “…He’s not worth it.” The blonde noticeably relaxed at her touch and let out a heavy breath as she returned to her usual strong and collected pose, nodding once toward Lena in understanding.

“Well, isn’t that _touching_.” Lex scoffed from beside them, the disgust on his face palpable. “As much as I would love to stand here and watch my sister make a complete _fool_ of herself, we have more pressing matters to attend to. So, let's begin shall we?”

Lena sent him a hard glare, tired of his constant mind games. She was just about to give him a piece of her mind, refuse to play along with whatever this was, when Lex twisted the dial of the watch on his wrist. The room was immediately bathed in a sickly green glow and before she could react Supergirl let out a piercing cry, falling to her knees in pain. Lena watched in horror as luminescent, green track marks crept along the hero’s face.

She had never forgotten the way the blonde had described the feeling of Kryptonite poisoning to her, like skin being seared from your bones or nails running through your blood. At the time, she had acted indifferent, but it had stuck with her, a dark memory she couldn’t shake. It had haunted her dreams, nightmares of her own family hurting the young woman like that. Of her own experimental work with Kryptonite somehow being used to harm the hero, manipulated for evil like so many of her other projects had been. It was what had prompted her to make the Kryptonite resistant suit, a safety net for times of crisis. Lena only wished she had that suit with her now, that she had some way to ease the look of agony and terror on the aliens face.

Lena snapped out of her thoughts and rushed to Supergirl’s side, crouching beside her and placing her hand on top of the thick red cape covering the girl’s back. She looked around her for any way to stop what was happening, knowing it was pointless, but unable to stand back and do nothing.

She looked up towards her brother, searching for his humanity, imploring him to do the right thing for once. “Please Lex, stop this. I get it now, okay? I know Clark hurt you, that you feel betrayed…but she’s not him. This won’t fix anything.”

Any hope she had for his morality was dashed as he laughed in her face, a look of pity directed towards her. “Oh Lena, so naive. You still haven’t grasped what all of this is about. You still _refuse_ to see what is right in front of you. I promise, you’ll understand soon that we aren’t so different. Now, stand up.”

He pointed his gun directly at her, following her movements and gesturing for her to move away from the injured Super, beckoning her towards himself. Lena obliged, moving slow and steady towards her brother and stopping before him as he reached behind his back to pull out a 2nd gun. He thrust it towards her, keeping his gaze steadily upon her and silently warning her not to try anything.

Lena looked down at the solid metal firearm resting in her shaking palms, her eyebrows scrunched in confusion as she sent a questioning look towards Lex. She couldn’t shake the ill feeling that had settled within her. Lex had taught her how to shoot when she was a teenager, it had made her feel safe, given her the confidence that she could protect herself. Now all she felt was dread, a heightened sense of something terrible on the horizon. She didn’t feel in control, she felt the foreshadowing of something life changing that she was utterly powerless to stop.

“This is where I give you a choice Lena, so pay attention and don’t squander it. That gun in your hands has one bullet, you get to decide how to use it. You have two options; You can shoot the alien that doesn’t belong here and save Miss Danvers, proving to the world that you truly are just another Luthor, or, you can shoot Miss Danvers and save the Kryptonian abomination. Let me be clear, there is no third option, that gun is programmed to be unusable against me.” Lex’s voice had returned to that cold, calm indifference.

Lena’s hands shook as she continued to stare down at the weapon. Her mind refusing to process the information she had just been given. “And if I refuse to go along with any of this?” Lena questioned, knowing this wasn’t a decision she could make.

“Then I’ll shoot them both and give the signal to Miss Teschmacher to shoot Jimmy. Like I said Lena, there is no third option.” The pleased smile on Lex’s face made her nauseous, how had he become this heartless monster?

Her heart pounded in her chest, the rapid pace of it making her head spin. She tried to calm her breathing but it was pointless, her whole body was trying to reject the decisions laid out before her. She felt her eyes sting with tears, the sounds of Supergirl’s agonising cries still reaching her ears.

Lena looked over to the Super, could see her still huddled on the floor, her hands clutching at her own body trying to suppress the pain of the Kryptonite. Blue eyes opened and connected with her own, pain evident in them but also understanding. She knew then that Supergirl had heard everything Lex had said, knew that she understood the decision now weighting heavily on Lena’s chest. She was trying to offer Lena comfort even though she was in great pain herself. That was who Supergirl was, a beacon of hope in even the darkest hours. She was selfless and kind and unwavering. She was the calm in the middle of a storm. She wasn’t a superior being with a God complex, Lena knew that now. Working with the Super over the past week had only strengthened Lena’s trust in her. She had supported Lena, been a shoulder to lean on when the day became too tough to handle. They had grown closer, could even be considered friends. Lena respected her and that wasn’t something she offered freely. But, Supergirl had earned it and with that respect, came affection. Lena had grown to care for the Kryptonian more than she thought possible and more than she would like to admit to herself. It was a feeling that had seemingly grown from nothing but now bloomed bright within her. She absolutely refused to label it, but it was there, she could acknowledge that much.

Lena let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes, no longer able to accept the solace Supergirl was attempting to provide. She looked towards Kara, still unconscious in her position, and Lena was at least thankful that the reporter wasn’t having to witness any of this, that she wouldn’t be able to meet Lena’s gaze with her own. Looking at the Super to her left was difficult, but Kara was on an entirely different level. One look from her right now and Lena would crumble. Kara always looked at her in a way no one else ever had. Like she was important. Like she was special. Like she was _good_. And Lena was powerless against it, she had been ever since that first meeting after the Venture explosion. Kara had been the only person to break past all of her defences, to see past the public facade and to have an unwavering belief in her no matter the situation. Lena couldn’t lose that, couldn’t lose _her_.

She was at an impasse. No decision seemed like the right one. Every option felt horribly wrong and she was left with a bitter taste in her mouth as she considered, maybe there was a third option. One that she could more willingly accept, one that would keep both of the women before her safe, one that her brother may not have anticipated.

She looked down again at the gun in her hand, her eyes briefly flicking over to Supergirl. The blonde seemed able to read her mind and her eyes widened as she shook her head at Lena.

Lena broke the gaze, taking a breath as she raised the gun underneath her own chin. She caught the look of shock on Lex’s face before he could conceal it and she smiled to herself.

Checkmate brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY!
> 
> come yell at me on Twitter: @xpaperflowersxx


	2. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this got way more of a response than I was expecting! Thank you to everyone who has commented, left Kudos or bookmarked, it means the world to me ❤️
> 
> If anyone was wondering the story title is taken from the song Broken by Seether ft. Amy Lee, I thought it was fitting since Ms Mcgrath loves to tell us how broken Lena will be after the reveal!
> 
> There are bits of Russian in this, the English translation will be next to it in brackets.
> 
> Anyways, here's chapter 2. It picks up right where chapter 1 ended. It's pretty damn angst filled and you may need some tissues... Enjoy!

“You said the gun couldn’t be used against _you_ , but I’m guessing you didn’t think to factor in this possibility. That a Luthor would choose to end their own life instead of taking another. So what’s it gonna be Lex? Are you willing to let me die to spare them?” Lena kept her cold stare on her brother. She could see Supergirl in her peripheral vision, trying to crawl towards her, to stop her.

“You would give your own life to save them both? To save an _alien_?!” Lex was angry, that much she could tell. He hated that she had seemingly bested him, beaten him at his own game. He always was a sore loser.

“If you think that I wouldn’t, maybe you don’t know me as well as you thought you did.” Her gaze was hard, her tone cold. She prayed this would work, that she could keep them both safe.

“I already told you Lena, there is no third option. I may not have thought you would stoop this low, but it’s no matter. You take your life and I’ll end both of theirs _myself_ , and I can promise you that I will _not_ make it quick.” Lex snapped at her, pointing his own gun threateningly between Supergirl and Kara.

Lena let the weapon fall back to her side and hung her head as the tears finally escaped her closed eyes. She had no way out of this. If she didn’t choose one of them, they were all dead. Her heart felt heavy in her chest, painful on every beat.

Supergirl had stopped inching closer to her as soon as she had lowered the gun. The blonde now rested on her knees, trying with all her strength to stand, even as the pain on her face grew.

Lex caught her eye, gesturing between the two women in front of her. “So, who’s it gonna be Sis? The Girl of Steel, National City’s Golden Saviour?…Or, the woman you _love_?” He smirked, watching as the colour drained from Lena’s face.

“Wait…w-what…? Lena…what’s he talking about?” Supergirl had climbed unsteadily to her feet, a look of shock on her face as she took in Lex’s words.

Lena refused to meet her gaze, keeping her eyes locked on the cold floor beneath her feet. She tried to swallow past the heavy lump that had settled in her throat but her mouth had run dry. Her palms had started to sweat, still trembling at her sides as she let Lex’s words wash over her.

She supposed she shouldn’t be all that surprised that Lex knew of her feelings for Kara, her brother always seemed to know her deepest secrets. And, she knew she was often less than subtle about her affections when she was around Kara, but the blonde had a way of bringing it out in her that she was powerless to stop. In all honesty, she was surprised that more people hadn’t noticed, especially Kara herself, but the reporter seemed completely oblivious to it all. Still, she had hoped to keep Lex as far away from Kara Danvers as physically possible and his knowledge surrounding her feelings for the other girl could only ever be a bad thing.

She hated to admit it but, her brother knew exactly how to manipulate her, knew how she would do absolutely anything to keep those she loved safe. It’s why she had never allowed herself to grow too close to anyone in the past, why she had distanced herself from everyone, including Jack. To keep them safe, to protect herself. But, that had never been an option with Kara. She could never bring herself to push Kara away and now Lex knew why. He was using her love for Kara to force her into killing an alien, into killing a Kryptonian, a hero, knowing without a doubt how the public would condemn her for it.

But, Lex had miscalculated things.

She couldn’t blame him, it wasn’t something she ever would have foreseen either, these strange feelings she had developed for Supergirl. They were new and unpredicted and confusing, but there all the same. Perhaps this decision would have been simpler before they had made amends and grown so much closer, but Lena didn’t wish for that, couldn’t find it within herself to ever regret the bridges they had built. Still, it made this all the more difficult and Lex was completely oblivious to it.

Supergirl was still staring at her, searching her face for answers, trying desperately to meet her eyes. Lena still couldn't look at her, the hero had looked so shocked and confused at Lex’s revelation that it had made her feel embarrassed, self-conscious, her face burning red in mortification. Even so, the blondes reaction puzzled her. After all, they were both friends with Kara. Surely the Kryptonian had experienced how kind and selfless the reporter could be, had recognised how beautiful Kara was, how easy it was to care for her. Lena could never picture anyone meeting Kara Danvers and _not_ loving her, the woman exuded sunshine and positivity. Her feelings made complete sense to her, so it was perplexing to see Supergirl be so completely taken aback at the idea.

Supergirl tried to take a step towards her, to reach out, but Lex pointed the barrel of his gun threateningly at her chest, stopping her from getting any closer.

Finally, Lena met her eyes, the blue swirling with emotions she couldn’t decipher.

“Lena…?” The hero spoke softly, allowing the unanswered question to linger in the air between them.

Lena took a shaky breath, closing her eyes as she felt a lone tear escape and trickle down the slope of her cheek.

“It’s true…He…He’s telling the truth…” Her voice was quiet but she had managed to keep it steady and for that she was grateful.

She opened her eyes to catch Supergirl’s reaction, but the hero stood frozen, Lena wasn’t even sure she had heard what she’d said or if she had understood. “…I…I love her. I’m… _in_ _love_ with Kara.” She forced herself to say for clarification, cursing her voice for breaking with the emotion of the statement. She had never said that out loud before.

Lena heard the sharp intake of breath and watched as the Kryptonian’s face fell deeper into shock, her mouth opening and closing in succession as she tried to piece things together in her head.

Lena took a step closer, forgetting for a moment the situation they were in as panic overtook her, terrified that, should they make it out of this, the Super might tell Kara. Her eyes widened in fear and she shook her head, halting the hero’s rapid overthinking.

“She doesn’t know. She…she _can’t_ …know. Not ever.” Lena’s voice trembled but she held Supergirl’s gaze firmly.

Blonde eyebrows furrowed, the Kryptonite still keeping her bent at the waist in pain, hands gripping her sides, but her mind clearly racing with all of this new information.

“Lena…” she tried to begin, but the younger woman cut her off.

“No. I mean it. Kara cannot find out about this.” Lena’s voice was firm but she could still hear the fear in her own words.

Supergirl shook her head, tried to push down some of the pain coursing through her body so that she could speak properly.

“No Lena, you don’t understand…there are things…that I need to tell you…things you need to know…” Her sentence was broken by her own anguished scream as Lex twisted the dial on his watch further, raising the kryptonite levels throughout the room. She fell to her knees once again, trying to breathe through the pain that overtook her.

“Enough!” Lex’s voice boomed throughout the vast, empty space they were occupying. “We are not here for a heart to heart! You are testing my patience, Lena. Make your decision and be done with it, before I am forced to make it for you!”

Lena felt her hand shake and tightened her grip on the weapon in her palm. She looked between the two women in front of her, urging her mind to make a decision, to make the _right_ decision. Her eyes met pain filled blue ones, Supergirl still huddled on the floor gripping her own body to try to dull the agony.

She knew, deep down, that her decision was already made, the decision she would _always_ make, but how could she possibly go through with it.

Her tears were steadily streaming down her face now and the shake of her hand had spread throughout her whole body. She felt nauseous. Sick to her stomach with guilt for an act she hadn’t yet committed. She would _never_ be able to absolve herself of this and Kara would never forgive her. But, it _had_ to be Kara that she spared. Lena couldn’t imagine living in a world where Kara no longer existed, even if it meant losing her from her life, at least she would still be alive _somewhere_.

Yes, the decision was made. But, carrying out that decision seemed impossible. Especially as she looked into Supergirl’s eyes, the recognition slowly beginning to seep through the pain. And, she looked scared, fearful of what Lena’s gaze must be telling her. She looked like she wanted to speak, but the pain was too consuming.

Lena began to raise the firearm from her side, hesitating half way as her heart pounded heavily against her ribcage. She looked to her brother, one last attempt to reach the humanity that she knew had once been within him.

“ _Please_ Lex. Please don’t make me do this.” She pled desperately. The remaining walls to her emotions were beginning to crack, but she held on to the vestiges, willing herself to stay strong, to not break entirely.

Lex shook his head, looking at her with pity, like she was a child who wasn’t smart enough to understand. “It’s time Lena, make your choice.”

She released the heavy breath she had been holding and resigned herself to finally accept her fate. This was happening and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She forced herself to look up and meet Supergirl’s eyes once more, the fear from before still present in them. The blonde was silently pleading with Lena, still trying to push away the pain in her body so that she could speak out.

Lena raised the gun the rest of the way up, arm trembling with the weight of her decision. She aimed steadily for the bright red S that had come to symbolise so much for so many and willed herself to dig up the cold resolve it would take to extinguish the shining beacon of hope in front of her.

Supergirl's right arm stretched out before her, hand raised in a placating gesture as she wavered unsteadily on her knees. The kryptonite in the air would have rendered her completely powerless by now, green tracks still carving angrily across every piece of exposed skin.

Lena felt the weight of the single bullet increase tenfold and she found herself wishing, praying for a miracle. Hoping beyond hope that maybe, if they were quick and if luck was on their side, if they turned the Kryptonite emitters off and extracted the bullet, just maybe they would be able to save her. It was a long shot. A huge, one in a million kind of chance. But then, if she was going to stake those kinds of odds on anyone, who better than a super-powered alien with the ability to destroy worlds who instead held a proclivity for selfless acts of kindness. Supergirl was already one in a million and that gave Lena the small amount of hope that she needed to hang on to.

She met ocean blue eyes, swimming with pain and trepidation and silently begged the hero to understand. “I’m sorry.” She whispered, hoping the blonde would be able to hear the sincerity in her voice.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath she tightened her grasp on the pistol grip, index finger resting firmly on the trigger. Supergirl’s eyes widened and her body tensed in anticipation, chest rising and falling in quick succession.

“WAIT!” The kryptonian forced the sound from her throat, pushing past the agony still holding her body to the floor. Lena paused, frozen in her position.

“Lena don’t do this! This isn’t…It’s not what you think… _That_ isn’t who you think it is.” Her voice was broken, gasping out words around the blistering flames coursing through her veins.

Lena’s brow furrowed, jaw flexing with indecision. “What are you talking about?” There was a waver to her voice that gave away the sudden foreboding twisting tightly around her chest.

Supergirl's throat bobbed as she swallowed thickly. Lena had never seen the hero look like this before, utter dread mixed with hesitant acceptance.

“That’s not…that’s not Kara Danvers…” she said it with such earnestness that Lena took a step back in incredulity.

Lena scoffed, forcing down the wave of doubt that was beginning to cloud her mind. Her grip on the trigger loosened unconsciously. “Are you insane?! Of course it’s Kara.” Her eyes flicked over towards the still unconscious body to her right, taking in the familiar lines of Kara’s face. Supergirl was either losing her mind or trying to buy time, perhaps the Kryptonite was making her delusional.

“Please…I know it’s hard to believe…but, you have to trust me.” The blonde was all but begging and Lena didn’t know what to do, what to think. If this was some ploy it was a low blow, appealing to the trust that they had only recently repaired and built upon.

“I do trust you, you know that, but what you’re saying doesn’t make sense. If that’s not Kara, who is it?” There was a war waging within her, two sides pushing and pulling against each other. She couldn’t make sense of it all, she trusted the Super implicitly but what she was being told didn’t align with what she could see for herself.

“I…I don’t know…” Supergirl shook her head, eyes still pleading with Lena to believe what she was saying despite the shadows of doubt clouding her features.

Lena released a humourless laugh, raising her eyebrow in disbelief. “So you have no clue who that is but you're _so sure_ it isn’t Kara? What is this? What are you trying to pull?” She was becoming frustrated, the migraine that had been developing now pounding away at her temples.

Lex stood still before them, silent as he watched the events play out. Lena had no doubt that he was enjoying every last second of this as it spiralled wildly out of control. He held an arrogant knowing look, like he was all too aware of some magnificent, universal truth and he was just waiting patiently for everyone else to catch up.

“Lena _please_ …I swear I’m telling the truth…I…I don’t know who that is…b-but, it _can’t_ be Kara…please trust me…I-I can explain…I promise, I will explain…but not here, n-not like this.” Hot tears carved their path down the blondes face and Lena wasn’t sure whether they were a result of the pain she was in or tears of desperation. Maybe they were a mix of both.

It was all too much for Lena to handle, this entire situation was beyond fucked up and all she had wanted to do since she first walked through the door was to run away and hide. But, standing over Supergirl, over the hero that had saved her life more times than she could count, with a gun still pointed squarely at her chest whilst the woman begged for her life, was more than she could take.

“Why are you doing this? Do you think this is easy for me?! I don’t want to do this but I have no choice! You know what my options are here…so, if you know something, that I don’t, you need to tell me. Right now.” Her tone was final. She never was great at handling intense emotions and her mind was clawing desperately at the cool, indifferent composure that had been drilled into her ever since she joined the Luthor family. Clinging to logic and reason over the gnawing gut reaction Supergirl’s words were eliciting. 

“I-I…” The blonde stammered, her own internal battle raging behind her eyes. Whatever knowledge she held obviously meant a great deal to her and Lena watched as the woman fought against herself in her indecision. A look of acceptance crossed her features and she snapped her mouth shut, shaking her head steadily to indicate that she had nothing further to add. Her lips still trembled with fear and the tears from her eyes never stopped flowing freely down her face. The hand she had held out in front of herself slowly made its way back to her side and she peered up at Lena in resignation.

Lena wavered. She felt as though there was something huge she was missing, the final piece to a puzzle she couldn’t complete. Something that could shake the very foundations of everything she knew or thought she knew. She hated being left in the dark, especially when everyone else seemed privy to whatever was going on but, Supergirl had made up her mind not to tell her and Lena knew there would be no changing it.

The hesitation settled heavily within her, doubt chipping away at the resolve she had only just managed to patch together. Her heart was screaming at her to save Kara, her mind yelling that Supergirl was wrong, that she had made her decision and she needed to get it over with. But, her gut was fighting them both, crying out over them that something was wrong. The gun in her hand shook in trepidation, eyes darting between the injured Super and Kara’s unconscious form.

“Oh Lena, are you really going to allow yourself to be so _easily_ manipulated? Do you have so little faith in your own judgement, that one word from that _thing_ could make you doubt all logic and reason?” Lex’s words were toying with her, scratching away at her own self loathing. She tried to block him out, to close off from his voice, knowing that she would be all too easily swayed in her current state.

“I thought you were stronger than this Lena, I thought I had taught you better. Or, perhaps I just misjudged the intensity of your feelings for Ms Danvers. Maybe you don’t care for her as much as I thought you did, after all you are considering killing her in cold blood. Looks like you truly are a Luthor, incapable of loving anything but yourself.” He was beating her down, the walls normally in place to protect herselfhad long since crumbled and Lex knew exactly where to hit her to make the biggest impact. He was wrong about one thing though, she didn’t love herself, she hated herself, now more than ever.

Everything was crashing down upon her all at once and she felt an immense emotional overload, all senses being attacked at once.

Supergirl still crying in agony before her. Lex’s barrage of judgement filling her ears. Kara’s lifeless form limply hanging in her peripheral vision. The musty scent of rusted pipes invading each breath. The bitter taste of bile on her tongue. The painful pump of blood pulsing through her temples. The cool metal of the weapon still clenched tightly in her palm.

“How can you be so _weak_?!”

It was too much.

“You weren’t raised to be _such_ a disappointment.”

Her eyes slammed shut.

“Father would be rolling in his grave if he could see this person you have become.”

Her jaw clenched.

“I wonder, what would your _mother_ think of you now.”

She held her breath.

“ _Pathetic_.”

That’s all it took.

Lena broke with a fractured scream filling the empty space all around them. Her eyes remained sealed tightly as she pulled back hard on the trigger pressed against her index finger.

The deafening crack of the gunshot reverberated off the empty walls, pulsing through her body to shake away the clouded emotions that had settled upon her.

It all happened so fast.

She heard the muffled cry of pain and the dull thud as something heavy hit the solid floor beneath them.

Her eyes flew open and her heart stopped, the vision of what she had done stilling every part of her and weighing heavily in her chest.

Her brother clapped his hands together loudly, laughing in joyous wonder as he looked between Lena and the figure sprawled haphazardly on the floor.

But, Lena didn’t see him.

Couldn’t see anything other than the deep red stain slowly leaching further out onto the royal blue suit. Hands, much paler than usual, shakily clutching at an unseen wound on her own stomach.

Lena couldn’t move.

She dropped the gun heavily to the floor, hands raising to muffle the sobs released from her shaking lips.

Lex walked over towards Kara, moving to untie the binds around her hands and feet.

“Дело сделано. Наш план сработал.” (It is done. Our plan worked.) Lex spoke softly, removing the last of the ropes from Kara’s wrists.

Lena snapped her head in their direction, recognising the foreign language Lex had used. The pit of her stomach filled with dread as she watched Kara immediately stand to attention at Lex’s words.

“Молодец, Алекс. На мгновение мне показалось, что это ее не сломает.” (Well done, Alex. For a moment, i thought it wouldn’t break her.) Kara spoke with perfect Russian intonation.

Lena’s eyes widened and the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach swirled unsteadily.

“K-Kara?” Her voice trembled with uncertainty. Her brother and the blonde looked towards her, both in perfect synchrony, only making her fear double.

A sharp laugh left Lex’s mouth and he shook his head at her, smirking in satisfaction the way he used to when he would beat her at chess.

“Lena, Lena, Lena. You made this all too easy. You see, your Kryptonian friend was telling you the truth…about _one_ thing at least. This is _not_ Kara Danvers. Allow me to introduce you to my Red Daughter.”

Lena’s throat constricted as she tried to process what lex was telling her. It made no sense, the woman before her looked exactly like Kara. Her demeanour was more confident and cold but everything else was the same.

“I-I…I don’t understand.” It came out as barely a whisper, her voice cracking with the emotions she was attempting to push down.

“I know you don’t understand, Sister and believe me when I say that it has been displeasing to watch you fail at every opportunity I’ve handed to you, to help you discover the truth. It seems that, once again, I will need to spell it out for you…” Lex turned towards Kara’s doppleganger, nodding towards her and signalling a command that Lena hadn’t seen before.

The blonde reached up and pulled her hair free from its tie, leaving it to fall in loose waves around her shoulders. Her hand moved towards the glasses that rested on her face and slowly she began to pull them away, folding them carefully and handing them over to Lex.

Lena caught her eye and her heart stopped.

The familiar blonde staring back at her was no longer Kara Danvers, it was Supergirl. The revelation struck her from out of nowhere and she struggled to keep her breathing even. How had she not put the pieces together before? Her mind raced with all the new information slotting itself together with the knowledge she already had, all her conversations with Kara merging with the fights she’d had with the Super.

_‘I will always be your friend and I will always protect you. I promise.’_

_‘That’s not a good question for a Luthor to ask someone in my family’_

Flashes of all the times Kara had slipped up and nearly let her secret out, so many mistakes that she had never taken the time to analyse.

_‘I flew here…on…on a bus’_

_‘I was getting coffee with Kara Danvers when you called.’_

_‘Mercy must have hired terrible marksmen, they totally missed me.’_

Her heart thudded as she remembered all the times Supergirl had saved her, as she realised that it had been _Kara_ that had saved her.

_‘Kara Danvers believes in you.’_

_‘Climb Lena, Climb.’_

And then, it cracked as she recalled the many moments she had stood by and watched as the Kryptonian was beaten down, injured and nearly killed. The time Reign had beaten her bloody and thrown her from the roof of a building. Lena had been there, she had seen the hero lying broken in a crater of her own making and she had never known that it was actually _Kara_. All those times she could have lost Kara for good and she never would have known.

The blonde before her had removed all of the clothes that had made her look like Kara and she now stood in her very own Super suit, the crest in the middle strikingly different to the Girl of Steel’s. Lena paused in her panic, noticing the newly designed Kryptonite shield that rested over the crest. Lex had obviously managed to get his hands on the prototype she had been developing at L-corp, at least now she knew it worked as it should.

The new information she had been given kept bouncing around in her head, replaying over and over again.

Mild mannered reporter Kara Danvers was the Girl of Steel, the Maiden of Might.

Kara was an alien.

Kara was _Supergirl_.

Supergirl… was Kara.

Everything stopped.

The whole world seemingly skidding to a halt as she looked towards the bleeding figure laying lifelessly on the cold floor.

She felt as though she had been swiftly punched in the gut, the breath stolen from her lungs in a cracked whimper. Her heart sank, leaving her chest feeling hollow and empty while her stomach rolled with sudden, incessant waves of nausea.

Oh god.

What had she done?

Her feet moved of their own accord, propelling her forwards towards the fallen hero. She sank to her knees by Kara’s side, ignoring the warm wetness seeping through the fabric covering her lower legs. Her tears fell thick and never-ending as she looked over the blonde’s body, searching for any signs of life, for any way to fix what she had broken.

All around her the green glow of the room receded and disappeared with a twist of Lex’s wristwatch. Lena watched and waited for the Kryptonite track marks to fade from Kara’s skin but, they never left. She looked towards Lex in confusion only to be met with a smug smile.

“Oh that’s right! Did I mention that the bullet was laced with Kryptonite? I guess it must have slipped my mind.” He shrugged his shoulders and began making his way towards the exit with Kara’s double, pausing in his movements to look back at her; “It’s been great to see you again Sis. Just remember, I warned you something like this would happen if you didn’t listen to me. Now you only have yourself to blame.” With that he turned on his heel and disappeared through the door.

Lena’s eyes were frantic, roaming across every inch of Kara, stopping to stare intently at the shallow rise and fall of her chest.

She was still alive. Just barely, but alive all the same.

Lena removed Kara’s pale hand from the wound on her abdomen, clutching it tightly in her own and using her free hand to press firmly on the small bullet hole.

She could feel the blood still trickling past her fingertips and she pushed down harder to stem the flow. If Kara had any chance at survival she couldn’t loose any more blood, the deep red already pooled around her body in shallow puddles.

The hero let out a pained groan at Lena’s ministrations, the Kryptonite from the bullet making her weaker by the second.

“Kara? Kara, can you open your eyes for me? I-I need you to open your eyes for me…please darling.” Lena squeezed her hand tighter, raising both so that she could softly caress the swell of Kara’s cheek with the back of her hand, urging the injured woman to respond.

Blue eyes fluttered open, blinking slowly, trying to resist the heavy pull of unconsciousness. She looked up, trying to focus on Lena’s face, her lips parted to pull in ragged breath.

“Lena…I…I-I’m sorry.” Tears spilled over onto her deathly pale cheeks and Lena released her own broken sob at the sight.

She shook her head at Kara, lips trembling from the flood of emotion she was trying to hold back.

“Don’t. You should not be apologising right now. I should be the one saying sorry…I-I-I _hurt_ you, Kara…y-you could _die_ …because of me, I…I’m _so sorry_ Kara, I-I didn’t know…I’m so _sorry_.” Her words were broken, voice cracking as the tears streamed steadily down her face.

She watched as Kara shakily raised her free hand, pressing a cold palm to her cheek as trembling fingers slowly wiped at the falling tears. Lena closed her eyes, pressing her face further into the comforting hand, trying to steady her breathing.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She looked deep into Kara’s eyes, searching for answers. “Before, when you told me that wasn’t Kara…why didn’t you tell me then? You could have stopped this from happening…but you just… _shook_ your head…a-andlet me _shoot_ you! Why would you do that, Kara? Y-you could have _told_ me…you should have said _something!”_ Her whole body was shaking, vision blurring from the thick tears she hadn’t yet shed.

Kara’s face twisted with emotion as she watched the dark haired woman breakdown in front of her.

“I…didn’t want…to hurt you. I d-didn’t…want you…to h- _hate_ me.” Lena raised their joined hands and pressed a kiss to the back of Kara’s hand.

“I could _never_ hate you, Kara. You heard what I said earlier…about my feelings for you…I meant what I said.” She felt Kara squeeze her hand a little tighter and watched as she nodded her head slightly in acknowledgment.

“I-I know…Lena I…I L-Lo…” She tried to stammer out, her voice becoming weaker. Lena cut her off before she could finish her sentence.

“Don’t. Okay? Don’t say what I think you're about to say…because then it will feel like a goodbye…and this…this is _not_ a goodbye…do you hear me? You’re going to be okay…I-I can fix this…you just have to hold on…okay?” Lena’s voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. Kara nodded, lips quivering as she struggled to breathe.

Lena’s focus was suddenly drawn to the bright white lights shining through the windows at the top of the room. She could hear the rumbling of several cars approaching and the tell-tale whir of a helicopter overhead. Her heart began to pound in anticipation. There was only one possibility in her head of who it could be. It had to be.

“Kara, do you hear that? It’s the D.E.O, you’re gonna be okay. They’ll be here soon, Alex will be here and they can help you.” Lena gave her a teary smile, praying that they would get here in time. Kara’s face dropped, her eyes widening in fear.

“A-Alex…doesn’t know…a-about me.” She was panicked, her breathing becoming more laboured as she struggled to maintain eye contact.

“Kara, I have to tell her…she needs to know…you’re her sister!” Lena was incredulous. She couldn’t keep this from Alex, the redhead deserved to know.

“You c- _can’t_! Lena… _please_ …it’s too d-dangerous…Alex could get h-hurt by the D.E.O…p-promise you won’t s-say anything.” Lena could see the worry in her eyes. She didn’t know what to make of what Kara had said about the D.E.O hurting Alex but, she didn’t want to risk putting her in danger.

“Okay, I promise.” She nodded at Kara and watched as the fear faded from her eyes.

The blonde’s breathing became shallower, her eyes rolling back as she struggled with the weight of keeping them open. Lena was terrified, clinging to Kara’s hand like a lifeline, willing the strike team to burst through the doors so they could save Kara’s life.

Kara met her eyes, giving her a small, lazy smile, before her eyelids drifted closed. Lena watched, waiting for her to open them again. Seconds ticked by with no movement.

“Kara?” She whispered, her heart sinking as she received no response. The blondes grip on her hand had become slackened and she gripped tighter, urging her to squeeze back, to do _something_. But, she remained still, unmoving. Lena released a broken cry, hand leaving Kara’s to grasp her cold cheek instead.

“ _Kara_! No, no, no…please…please wake up…they’re almost here, you have to wake up! Please Kara, don’t leave me…I _need_ you…I-I can’t do this without you…I love you…please open your eyes.”Lena was hovering over her body, eyes frantically searching the blonde’s face for any signs of movement.

The door to her left burst open and a sea of black uniforms swarmed into the open room, guns raised in front of them as they searched the area. Lena saw a figure running towards her and as it got closer she recognised the collected face of Alex Danvers.

“Lena, are you alright? What happened?” Alex’s voice was strong and calm as she settled onto her knees opposite Lena, signalling for a medical unit to come and help them. She rested her hand on top of Lena’s that was still stemming the blood flow from Kara’s wound and it jolted Lena out of her head enough to recognise she had been asked a question.

“She…I-I…” Lena struggled against the tightness that was constricting her throat, still paralysed with the thought that Kara could be gone, that they may have been too late. Alex squeezed her hand and removed it from Kara’s body, using her own free hand in its place.

“Hey, it’s okay. You don’t need to explain anything right now. We’re going to get Supergirl the help that she needs, alright?” Lena sobbed quietly and held on tightly to Alex’s hand for a moment, trying to absorb some of the other woman’s strength and composure. She nodded her agreement and Alex released her hand to press firmer on the still bleeding wound.

The medical team were surrounding them now, unpacking pieces of kit to get the fallen hero ready to move. Lena watched as Alex registered the green kryptonite marks all over Kara’s skin before she reached into a bag at her side, pulling out steel tweezers and using them to begin extracting the bullet in her abdomen. A man to her left was lifting Kara’s chin ready to intubate with the help of another woman to his right. The other team member waited by Alex’s side, gauze in hand, prepared to clean and patch the open wound as soon as she had finished with the extraction.

Everything moved in slow motion for Lena. This all felt like a dream. Some strange nightmare that she would wake up from any moment. She looked down at her hands, still covered in Kara’s blood and she felt like she was drowning. Her head was spinning and she closed her eyes tightly to stave off the sudden nausea that had settled low in her gut. She felt the unease rolling in her stomach and she stood shakily to her feet, moving away from the scene in front of her before it all consumed her. Her body bent at the waist as the clenching of her stomach became too much and she heaved, the taste of bile reminding her that it had been far too long since she had last eaten anything.

A warm hand was rubbing soothingly at her back and she shakily wiped at her mouth before looking back at Alex’s concerned eyes. She saw the medical team wheeling Kara away on a gurney, an intubation bag working to fill her lungs with oxygen. Lena moved to run after her, not wanting to be separated when Kara’s life still hung in the balance. Alex grasped her wrist, stopping her from getting any closer and she fixed her with a glare, warning her to let go.

“Lena, you can’t go with her, the team need all the room they can get in the helicopter so that they can continue to work on her. She’ll be okay, they’re the best team we have.” Alex released her arm and Lena looked back to see them loading Kara onto the chopper ready for transport. She didn’t want to leave her alone but deep down she knew Alex was right. She watched as the helicopter lifted smoothly off the ground and flew away at breakneck speed towards the city.

“Where are they taking her? I want to be there…in case…” She swallowed dryly, the lump in her throat increasing now that she couldn’t see Kara in front of her.

“They’re taking her back to headquarters, the med bay has everything they’ll need. Come on, you can ride back with me.” Alex gestured with her head towards one of the Black D.E.O vans waiting in the parking lot, the rest of the team already loaded up and ready to move.

Lena nodded and allowed Alex to lead her towards the van, climbing into the back and sitting across from the older Danvers. When the vehicle began to move her mind was still racing with everything that had happened over the past few hours but, she couldn’t focus on anything, images of Kara bleeding out and lifeless still at the forefront of her memory.

She knew Alex would find her current behaviour slightly odd, considering she had no idea that Supergirl was actually Kara and the fact that Lena hadn’t had the greatest relationship with the hero up until recently. But, she couldn’t worry about that now, her whole being was too wrapped up with concern for Kara.

“Hey, I just got an update to say that the team have arrived at the med bay and they managed to restart Supergirl’s heart on the flight over, she’s still not stable but her condition is improving. She’s going to be okay, Lena. She’s strong, she’ll pull through this.” Alex’s voice was soothing and Lena let it wash over her.

She wouldn’t stop worrying until Kara’s condition was stable and she was fully recovered, and she knew once that happened they would have a million things that they need to discuss but, for now Kara was safe and that’s all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts!
> 
> If this and the show haven't given you enough angst lately go listen to Too good at goodbyes by Sam Smith, I think it pretty accurately sums up how Lena is going to feel Post-reveal in the show...You're welcome!
> 
> Come yell at me on Twitter: @xpaperflowersxx


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